Why Is Everyone Stretching?

Is it the next Pilates? Can it make you taller? Our columnist booked a session.

 No sweat: Does stretching before and after a workout help?

Stretches are a ritual for many would-be athletes – but some moves could be a waste of time, and others could hamper performance

 Simple Stretches to Combat All That Sitting

Done correctly, these restorative stretches, working on muscles from your eyes to your toes, really do make you feel better.

 Stretching is not the key to moving better. This is.

Starrett, who founded The Ready State, an online movement coaching service and gym in San Francisco, says they’ve stopped talking about “flexibility” when it comes to movement. It has become too associated with traditional static stretching and being bendy (which can come with a whole host of its own problems), rather than moving better or being pain-free. Instead, he prefers to talk about things in terms of mobility and mobilizing.

 Stretching Is the Hot New Workout—and Some Say That’s a Reach

At gyms and studios across the country, ‘flexologists’ are trying to turn pushing and pulling into a specialty

 Stretching: expert explains how best to do it before and after a workout

Dynamic stretching has instead become more popular during warm-ups. Dynamic stretching involves deliberately moving a limb repeatedly through its entire range of movement. Dynamic stretching doesn’t impede performance the way static stretching does. In fact, it may even increase muscle strength while still providing the short-term increases in flexibility offered by static stretching. Before doing any type of exercise, a bit of dynamic stretching is recommended.

 To Stretch or Not to Stretch? Athletes Put It to the Test

The answer could depend on how we feel about stretching and what kind of exercise — and stretching — we intend to do.

 We Tried StretchLab's Assisted Stretching -- Here's What Happened.

StretchLab offers assisted stretching to those who have weary, knotted muscles with a goal of improving flexibility, relieving pain and correcting imbalances in the body, among other benefits. While the one-on-one and group stretching sessions differ in some ways, StretchLab combines the Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) approach with dynamic and static stretching to increase range of motion and maximize benefits during all stretch sessions.

 Why You Should Do Stretches Every Day (And The Right Way To Do It)

Stretching is a key component of any well-rounded exercise routine. And yet this vital element is often overlooked by many of us.

 You Can Skip the Stretching and Still Get More Flexible

Strength training is a remarkably effective way to counteract stiffness.

Does foam rolling actually do any good?

Most people understand that stretching before exercise is important; it loosens you up and improves your flexibility. But too much stretching – meaning upwards of 60 seconds – will weaken your muscles and could hamper your workout. One of foam rolling’s big selling points is that it can improve flexibility to a similar extent as stretching, but with an important added bonus – it doesn’t impair strength. Foam rolling can also improve performance if combined with stretching. This may be better than doing one or the other, but as yet the research evidence is inconclusive.

The Right Way to Stretch Before Exercise

) Runners and cyclists can adequately warm up, Dr. McHugh says, by jogging or pedaling lightly. But he suggests that people who play basketball, soccer, tennis and ultimate Frisbee — or other sports that involve leaping, sprinting and forceful, potentially muscle-ripping movements — should stretch in advance. Those who haven’t stretched since childhood gym class might want to consider consulting an athletic trainer about the best upper- and lower-body stretches, particularly for the shoulders, hamstrings and thighs.

Dynamic Stretching: 3 Movements for Flexibility

Simply put, flexibility is important for everyone. With that said, there’s a lot of misinformation and controversy about stretching, so in this post, we’ll address some of those, and make some recommendations about best practices.

Reasons Not to Stretch

Most of us grew up hearing that we should warm up with a stretch. Strike and hold a pose, such as touching your toes, for 30 seconds or more, we were told, and you’ll be looser, stronger and injury-proof. But anyone who follows fitness science — or this column — knows that in recent years a variety of experiments have undermined that idea.

Regular Stretching May Boost Fitness of Those Who Can’t Exercise

Regular stretching may help to boost cardiovascular fitness in people who are unable to exercise due to surgery or poor health, according to a small study in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

Stop Stretching!

Stretching is perhaps one of the most controversial fitness subjects of present day. Passionate debates arise between those who perceive the benefits of stretching and those, like me, who think stretching is one of the worst activities you can partake in, especially if you’re already injured. It’s a tradition that’s hard to break because so many of us have the stretching necessity ingrained in our heads as we’ve listened to coaches, trainers, professional athletes, researchers, and doctors throughout our fitness lives.

Stretch Before Exercise? Not So Fast.

Recent studies caution people away from stretching before workouts, suggesting it actually impedes your body’s performance. According to this research, runners run more slowly, jumpers jump less high, and weight lifters lift more weakly by stretching, without significantly ensuring against injury during their exercise.

Stretches and Strategies to Help You Feel Better At Your Desk

The good news is that, along with doing some simple stretches, making ergonomic adjustments to your work environment can significantly reduce the daily discomfort most desk jockeys deal with.

Stretching Before a Workout Isn't Doing as Much as You Think

But you might want to do it anyway.

Stretching Exercises Are In as the Next Fitness Fad

“Stretching is especially important in our modern world because we don’t have as many slow movements integrated into most of our lives anymore,” said Diane Waye, the owner of Stretching by the Bay, a studio in San Francisco. “We need to keep our range of motion open to help prevent joint disease, pain and posture issues and to improve athletic performance.”

The importance of stretching

You may think of stretching as something performed only by runners or gymnasts. But we all need to stretch in order to protect our mobility and independence. "A lot of people don't understand that stretching has to happen on a regular basis. It should be daily," says David Nolan, a physical therapist at Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.

There's no evidence that stretching before exercise prevents injuries

It seems like dogma that you need to stretch before or after you exercise, or you'll risk getting hurt. So it might come as something of a surprise that the actual data on how stretching affects injury risk is decidedly mixed.

When is it a Bad Stretch?

One concern that has been brought up time and time again is what is considered a bad stretch and what is a good stretch. When should you stretch, and when should you not stretch?

Why stretching is (still) important for weight loss and exercise

There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding the value – or lack thereof – of muscle stretching to accelerate recovery after exercise. “Stretching clears out your lactic acid,” and other similar claims abound. Is any of this true? Sort of. First, it is important to understand the difference between stretching for recovery and stretching for remodeling.